Lumaconi with Parmesan and Eggplants

The "lumaconi" are a main dish with Parmesan, unusual and very tasty. The main ingredients are eggplant and mozzarella that can be buffalo  or cow mozzarella.

Lumaconi  with Parmesan and Eggplants

For the pasta 

• Basil ,20 leaves
• Salt ,3 pinches
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese ,120 gr
• Lumaconi Pasta 500 gr 
• Eggplant ,two medium 
• Mozzarella , 400 g
• Olive oil ,3-4 tablespoons

For the sauce

• Garlic ,2 cloves
• Salt ,3 pinches
• Tomatoes ,1200 g pulp
• Black Olives ,50 g 
• Olive oil ,4 tablespoons

Mince the garlic and slice the olives into rings . Fry garlic and olives in a pan .

Add the chopped tomatoes. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon .

Prepare the eggplant, cut them  rounds about 2 cm thick and then cut into cubes : fry in a pan . 
Once the cubes are fried, drain from the oil and put them  on a plate covered with absorbent paper .Dice mozzarella .

Cook the pasta in salted water, drain it  “al dente”. 

Fill  the lumaconi with some of the sauce and then  season with some . 

Sprinkle bottom of pan with oil and place a layer of pasta, continue with half of  the eggplant and  with the diced mozzarella ,   cut  the basil leaves in half with your fingers. 

Finish with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese . Continue with another layer of pasta to which you add all other ingredients and finish with the sauce .

Bake for 35-40 minutes at 160° C 

Grate  Parmesan cheese on the lumaconi  and serve immediately.

Tuscan Summer Vegetables Recipe

This is a summer Tuscan  traditional recipe, which have different names all over Italy and  You can prepare and eat the same day, but it’s perfect also the day after It’s good also cold . Perfect recipe in the hot summer days  and when you have vegetarian or vegan friends.

GURGUGLIONE

300g  Aubergines (Egg-plants)
300g  Courgettes (Zucchini)
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
200g  Potatoes
150g  Peppers
300g  Peeled tomatoes
Oil
Salt and Pepper
Basil

Cut all the vegetables into small pieces Soften the chopped onion and garlic in the oil in a saucepan. Add the peppers, leave to cook for 5 minutes, then add the other vegetables, salt and pepper and leave to stew. Cook for 20 minutes in the last 5 minutes add  the basil and finish cooking.